The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has given the federal and Edo State governments a 14-day ultimatum to prosecute those responsible for the killing of 16 northern hunters in the state.
NEF spokesperson, Abubakar Jiddere, demanded that the perpetrators be publicly punished to serve as a deterrent against future acts of violence in a statement on Saturday.
Jiddere also called for the immediate retrieval of the victims’ bodies for “honourable burials in line with their faiths.”
“The north has tolerated numerous such animalistic and cannibalistic acts of recklessness from some southern parts of Nigeria in the past,” Jiddere said.
“This must come to an end. The North will take stringent action in response to this inhumane attack on its peace-loving people.”
The incident occurred on Thursday when a mob in the Uromi area of Edo killed 16 hunters of northern descent who were traveling from Elele, Rivers State, to Kano. The hunters were reportedly attacked and lynched after some vigilante members raised the alarm, suspecting them to be kidnappers.
President Bola Tinubu has since ordered the police and security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice.
In response, the Edo police command announced the arrest of 14 suspects connected to the incident.
Condemning what it described as a “barbaric, extra-judicial, and cowardly killing,” the NEF outlined its demands to the authorities, including:
·Immediate arrest and public prosecution of all those involved in the attack.
·Payment of compensation to the victims’ families in line with their respective faiths.
·An unreserved apology from the Edo State Government to the northern community.
·A commitment from Edo authorities to prevent such incidents from recurring.
“The NEF demands a public prosecution of the perpetrators and those that aided the crime to ensure full transparency and accountability,” the statement reads.
The group warned that failure to meet its demands would compel the North to take necessary actions to seek justice for its people.
It also urged northerners to remain calm while the authorities address the matter.
